Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

Repetition

Article 1(a) of the Convention. Penal sanctions involving compulsory labour as a punishment for expressing political views or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system. Penal Code and the Public Order Act. For many years, the Committee has been referring to certain provisions of the Penal Code and the Public Order Act, under which sentences of imprisonment may be imposed as a punishment for participating in certain meetings and gatherings or the publication, distribution or importation of certain kinds of publications. These sentences involve compulsory labour under Rule 86 of the Prison Rules. The Committee has been referring, in particular, to section 5 of the Public Order Act (Cap. 56), under which the police is entitled to control and direct the conduct of public gatherings and has extensive powers to stop or prevent the holding of public gatherings, meetings and processions (section 5(8)–(10)), contraventions being punishable with imprisonment (section 5(11) and (17)), which involves compulsory labour. The Committee has been also referring to section 53 of the Penal Code, under which printing, publishing, distributing, offering for sale, etc. of any prohibited publication is punishable with imprisonment; under section 52 of the Penal Code any publication can be declared a prohibited publication if it is necessary in the interests of public order, public morality or public health. The Committee requested the Government to bring into conformity the above-mentioned provisions in order to limit their application to only acts of violence.

The Committee notes with regret an absence of information on this point in the Government’s report. The Committee notes that sections 52 and 53 of the Penal Code and section 5(8), (10), (11) and (17) of the Public Order Act referred to above are not limited to acts of violence or incitement to violence and their application may lead to the imposition of penalties involving compulsory labour as a punishment for various types of non-violent actions relating to the expression of views through certain kinds of publications and participation in public gatherings.

The Committee once again recalls that Article 1(a) of the Convention prohibits the use of any form of forced or compulsory labour, including compulsory prison labour, as a punishment for holding or expressing political views or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system. Referring to paragraph 303 of its General Survey of 2012 on the fundamental Conventions, the Committee points out that the Convention does not prohibit punishment by penalties involving compulsory labour of persons who use violence, incite violence or engage in preparatory acts aimed at violence. However, sanctions involving compulsory labour fall within the scope of the Convention if they enforce a prohibition of the peaceful expression of views or of opposition to the established political, social or economic system, whether the prohibition is imposed by law or by an administrative decision. Such views may be expressed orally or through the press or other communications media or through the exercise of the right of association (including the establishment of political parties or societies) or participation in meetings and demonstrations.The Committee therefore urges the Government to take the necessary measures to bring the provisions referred to above into conformity with the Convention (for example by limiting their scope to acts of violence or incitement to violence or by replacing sanctions involving compulsory labour with other kinds of sanctions, such as fines); and to report on the progress made in this regard. Pending the adoption of such amendments, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the application in practice of sections 52 and 53 of the Penal Code and sections section 5(8), (10), (11) and (17) of the Public Order Act.